Roofing-tile machine.



c. BLAHA. HOOFING TILE MACHINE.

APPLICTIONFIPED FVEB. 5,1917.

I Patented Dee. 11,1191?.

3 SHEETS-SHEET i.

Tha. f

, l FFE@ STATES' PATENT FFQE.

CHARLES BOHUSLAV BLAHA, OF NORFOLK, VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR TO FREDERICK WILLIAM MELDE, OF NORFOLK, VIRGINIA.`

ROOFING-'IILE MACHINE.

Y Specication of Letters Patent.

.Patented Dec. 11, 1917.

Application led February 5, 1917. Serial No. 146,808.

skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. f

My invention relates generally to improvements in machines for molding cement'and the like into required shapes and more particularly to machines designed for forming cement roofing tiles.

Y Machines of this type commonly employ a shaper bar movable over the green cement which is supported on a pallet in order to impart the required shape to the upper surface of the tile. The ends of these bars travel on tracks and the contacting faces of both often become so worn by continual use as to cause the tiles to be constructed of insuflicient thickness. It is therefore one .aim ofthe present invention to provide means whereby the wear may be taken up to always construct the tiles as thick as necessary, this object being attained by rendering the tracks vertically adjustable.

Another object is to provide each track with adjusting means at each of its endsV so that said tracks may be mo're or less inclined if desired to permit the tiles to be formed of greater thickness at their lower than at their upper ends, the latter being protected by the loverlapping ends of the uppe rows of tiles.

The type of tile formed by the machine isv provided with a web through which a fastening wire is passed for securing the tile in place on the roof and although I am aware that numerous arrangements Y have been heretofore devised for piercing this 4web while the cement is green, another object of my invention is to improve upon the arrangements of parts heretofore provided for this purpose, the improved construction causing the tile to be molded around a needle rather than forcing the latter through the green cement.

With the foregoing general objects in view, the invention resides in the novel features of construction and unique combinations of parts for carrying out such objects, these features being hereinafter fully described and claimed and being illustrated in the accompanying drawings which constitute a part of this specification and in which: v i

F igure'l is a top plan view of the improved machine with tlie shaper bar removed;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section on the plane of the line 2 2 of Fig. l, showing the machine in use; n

Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section on the plane of the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. l is a view similar to Fig. 2, showing the manner in which the web piercing lneedle is retracted to permit ejection of a completed tile and its pallet;

Fig. 5 is al view similar to Fig. 4, illustrating more v'particularly the manner in which the needle will bel released by inser-V tion of a new pallet;

Fig. 6 is a sectional perspective view showing more particularly the adjusting means for Jche tracks; j

Figs. 7 and 8 are detail vertical sections on the planes of the lines 7 7 and 8-8 ofthe numerals l have reference to a pair ofV side bars preferably of angle-iron construction supported on suitable legs 2, transverse bars 3 being supported at their ends on the upper sides of said bars l and forming therewith a rectangular frame.` The ends of the bars 3 are provided with heads- 4 nclined upwardly and inwardly on their upper sides as shown clearly in Figs. 3 and 6,

these heads being spaced inwardly from one j edge of said bars as shown more particularly in the last named View in order to accommodate vertical fingers which rise from the outer ends of said bars to points above being disposed in true vertical planes.

Parallel tracks 6 preferably of the angle metal construction shown,'contact with the inner faces of the fingers 5 and restl on the horizontal upper sides of wedges 7 which are supported upon the inclined upper faces of the heads 4j Bolts 8 pass vertically v10o the heads, the' inner sides of said iingers through the bars 1 and 3, through the hori- ZOntal flanges of the tracks 6, and through slots 9 in the intervening wedges 7 so that all of these parts are secured together when the nuts of said bolts are tightened. 5@ther bolts 10 extend horizontally through the upper corners of the heads i t and through vertical slots 11 formed longitudinally through the wedges 7 and adjust-ment of the bolts 10 after first loosening bolts 8 will adjust the wedges 7 inwardly or outwardly as occasion may demand to respectively raise or lower the tracks 6 for the purpose of changing the elevation of the shaper bar 12 which is provided with shoes 13 traveling on said tracks.

The under side of the bar 12 vis shapcc according to the contour to be imparted to the upper face of the tile T and the green cement of which the latter is formed will be supported in the usual manner on the pallet P which in the present illustration is shown stamped upwardly along its longitudinal center as shown at 1e to form a groove in the under side of the tile. Extending across the upwardly stamped portion le, however, is a channel-shaped bridge 5 to form the usual anchoring web lV across the groove above mentioned, the sides of said bridge being formed with openings 16 through which the web piercing needle 17 passes. The construction and mounting of this needle will kbe hereinafter entered into in detail.

The pallet P fits into the upper side of'a rectangular molding frame 20 supported at its ends by the bars 3, said frame being ot any preferred construction but its end bars 21 are necessarily shaped according to the pallet P and its side bars 22 carry bearings 23 in which a transverse horizontal shaft 2e is mounted, said shaft'extending across the frame as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. rlhe usual trimming frame 25 is provided for downward swinging upon the frame 20 to shape the edges of the tile after the top thereof has been formed by the shaper bar 12.

For supporting the pallet P at the required elevation, screws or the like 2G preferably rise from the bars 3 and for ejecting said pallet with a completed tile thereon, the usual push rods 27 slide vertically through said bars, said rods being carried by a. horizontal frame 2S on the upper end of a vertical rod 29 operated at will by means of the foot lever 30. By means yet to be described, the needle 17 is caused to pass through the openings 16 in 'the bridge 15 when the pallet P is placed in the frame 20 and the green cement of which the tile is formed will thus be molded around said needle so that an opening will be formed ing done by the Anovel construction to be de-l scribed in connection with that just referred to.

rllhe shaft 211 is rockably supported in the bearings 23 and the needle 17 is carried on the outer end of an arm 31 which projects outwardly from said shaft, the latter having adjacent said arm, a laterally extending weight 32 which serves to force the needle 17 through the openings 16 when it is permitted to drop by gravity. Then the pallet is removed, however, a dog 33 coperates with a ratchet 311 on the shaft 2e and thus holds the needle in the retracted position shown in Figs. et and 5, the weight being then elevated. Said weight is moved to this position by a push rod 35 which rises from the frame 23, said rod being of a length to raise weight 32 suliiciently to retract the needle 17 before the push rods 27 start elevating the pallet P and during this movement, the ratchet 3l is so turned as to permit the dog 33 to ccaet therewith in holding the parts as shown in the figures of the drawings last referred to.

rPhe dog 33 is provided with a tail 36 disposed in the downward path of the pallet when the latter is being placed in the machine and it will thus be obvious that said dog will be released to permit the weight to rock the shaft 2e, whereupon the needle 17 will be projected through the openings 16 in the bridge 15. To prevent bending of the, arm 31 upon which said needle is carried, the ratchet 3l is by preference provided with a stop 37 which comes into contact with the dog 33, thus preventing the aforesaid arm from striking the bridge 15.

lV ith the needle 17 extending across the bridge as shown in Fi g. 2, the cement is applied to the pallet P and shaped by the bar 12 and frame 25, the web W being formed around said needle as above mentioned. To eject the completed tile, the foot lever 30 is now operated. Before the push rods 27 come into Contact with the pallet P, the rod 35. contacts with the weight 32 as shown in Fig. 2. Bythe time said rods 27 start raising the pallet, the piercing means will have moved to the retracted position of Fig. e, in which position it is held by the dog 36. Application of another pallet to the machine, however, trips dog 33 and allows the needle 17 to again assume its operative position.

From the foregoing, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it will be observed that l have improved upon the piercing means for the anchoring webs of roofing tiles and have also provided a novel manner of supporting the tracks t3, the supporting means described serving to permit said tracks to be adjusted vertically totake up wear upon themselves as well as the shoes 13 and also allowing one end of said tracks to be adjusted to a greater height than the other if the tiles are to be made of greater thickness at one end. On account of these advantages, the construction shown and described constitutes the preferred form of the improved machine, but it is to be understoodthat within the scope of the invention as claimed, numerous changes may be made without sacrificing the principal advantages.

I claim:

l. A tile molding machine com* yising a. supporting frame, a molding frame mounted thereon, a. shaper bar for finishing the upper face of the tile, a pair of parallel horizontal tracks upon which said sha-per bar is mounted, wedges supporting the ends of said tracks for vertical adjustment, and means for hold` ing said wedges in adjusted position.

2. A tile forming machine comprising a. horizontally disposed supporting frame including a pair of transverse bars, heads on the upper sides of said bars at the ends thereof and having inclined upper faces, Wedges resting slidably on said inclined faces, a pair of parallel horizontal tracks supporting said wedges, and means for locking said wedges in adjusted position; in combination with a molding frame located between said tracks, and a shaper bar slidably supported by said tracks for finishing the upper face of the tile.

3. A tile forming machine comprising a .supporting frame including a pair of transverse horizontal bars, heads on the upper sides of said bars and spaced inwardly from one edge thereof, said heads having inclined upper faces, wedges supported slidably on said faces, rigid vertical lingers formed integrally with and rising from the ends of said transverse bars to one side of said heads, a pair of parallel horizontal tracks supported at their ends on said wedges, the outer sides of said tracks bearing against the inner faces of said lingers, and means for holding said wedges in adjusted position; in combination with a molding frame between the aforesaid tracks, and a shaper bar movable along said tracks for finishing the Lipper face of the tile.

4. A tile forming machine comprising a molding frame, a pallet insertible into the upper side of said frame and having a depressed portion to form an anchoring web on the under side of the tile, a needle movable across said portion to form an opening through the web, a swinging arm on which said needle is carried, a weight for swinging said arm to dispose the needle in operative position, means for normally preventing such action of said weight, and means for tripping said preventing means automatically when the pallet is placed in the molding frame.

5. A tile forming machine comprising a molding frame, a pallet insertible into the upper side of said frame and having a depressed portion to form an anchoring web on the under side of the tile, a needle movable across said portion to form an opening through the web, a swinging Varm on which said needle .is carried, a weight kfor swinging said arm to dispose the needle in operative position, and a dog and ratchet for normally preventing such movement of said weight, said dog having a portion disposed in the downward path of the pallet for tripping said dog when said pallet is inserted into the frame.

(i. A tile forming machine comprising a'y molding frame, a pallet insertible into the upper 'side of said frame 'and having a depressed portion to form an anchoring web on the under side of the tile, a needle movable across .said portion for forming an opening through the web, a swinging arm on which said needle is carried, a weight to fall by gravity to dispose said arm to operative position when the pallet is inserted into the frame, means for ejecting the pallet, a vertical push rod operated by said ejecting means for raising said weight to retract the finger before the pallet is raised, and means for holding said weight in elevated position, including a trip disposed in the downward path of the pallet when applying the latter to the frame.

Y. A tile forming machine comprising a molding frame, a pallet insertible into the upper side of said frame and having a depressed portion to form an anchoring web on the under side of the tile, a needle movable across said portion to pierce the web, an arm on the upper end of which said needle is carried, a horizontal rock shaft eX- tending between the side bars of the frame and carrying said arm, a weight extending laterally from said rock shaft and adapted to drop by gravity to project the needle when the pallet is applied, means for ejecting the pallet including a horizontal frame, a push rod rising from said frame for raising said weight to retract the needle before the pallet is raised, a ratchet on said shaft, and a dog coperating with said ratchet to hold the shaft so as to retain the needle in retracted position, said dog having a trip disposed in the downward path o-f the'pallet when applying the latter.

S. A tile forming machine comprising a molding frame, a pallet insertible into the upper side of said frame, a needle for forming an opening through a portion of the tile, self-actuated means for moving said needle to operative position, and means for holding .said moving means against actuation, said holding means being positioned to be released automatically by insertion of the pallet.

9. A tile forming machine comprising a molding frame, a pallet insertible into the upper side of said frame, a needle for forming an opening through a portion of the tile, self-actuated means for moving said needle to opeative position, and a dog and ratchet for holding said moving means aga-inst actuation, said dog having a portion positioned for releasing it automatically when the pallet is inserted.

10. A tile forming machine comprising a molding frame, a pallet insertible into the upper side of said frame, a needle for `forniing an opening through a portion of the tile, a Weight for moving said needle to operative position, and means for holding said Weight against actuation, said means being positioned 'to be released automatically When the pallet inserted.

ll. Ba tile forming machine comprising a molding frame, pallet insertible into the upper side of said frame, a needle for forming an opening through a portion of the tile,

Lemos@- a Weight for moving said needle to operative position, self-applied means for holding said Weight against dropping when raised, means for ejeoting the pallet, and a push rod actuated by said ejecting means and adapted for engagement with the weight for automatically raising the same to retract the needle before the pallet is raised, said self-applied holding means being positioned to be antomatically released by insertion of the pallet.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

W. C. Ross,

JOSEPH PREROVSKY,

Copie-s of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of )Patents Washington, D. C. 

